As a result of the Covid-19 travel restrictions, the cruise industry was dealt a hard blow, with multinational companies, such as Carnival Corporation, suffering major financial losses, reports Ship Technology.
Carnival’s total revenue dropped from $4.8bn in 2019 to $700m.
Other cruise operators, on the other hand, have decided to bet on the industry’s future by buying ships at a much cheaper price.
Holland America
Holland America was one of the first Carnival-owned brands to go along with the restructuring plans and start selling ships.
On 15 July, the company announced that four cruise ships – named Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Maasdam, and Veendam – had been sold.
While the former two were acquired by Norwegian cruise line Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the latter was sold to undisclosed buyers.
Carnival Cruise
Carnival cruised announced plans for the development of a new Excel-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered ship, which is supposed to be ready by November 2022.
The unnamed vessel, which is currently under construction at the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard, will be similar to is its sister Mardi Gras, a 5,200-passenger cruise ship set to sail in 2021.
The new vessel will showcase many of the same features as Mardi Gras – including BOLT, the first roller coaster at sea – and will be open for selling this autumn.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises has recently announced the selling of two of its most famous ships, Sun Princess and Sea Princess, to undisclosed buyers as part of Carnival Corporation’s post-Covid restructuring plans.
“Sun Princess and Sea Princess contributed to significant growth in Australian cruising,” said Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz. “Both ships defined the premium cruise experience with Australians and New Zealanders spending close to 14 million nights aboard these ships.”
Having completed six full world cruises since 2013, Sea Princess has become one of the company’s most famous vessels. Before being homeported in Australia alongside Sun Princess, the ship had sailed around Europe, Alaska, and the Caribbean.
Celestyal Cruises
Cyprus-based Celestyal Cruises has recently bought the Costa neoRomantica, which was originally owned by the Italian cruise company Costa Cruises.
As reported by Cruise Adviser, Celestyal said one of its reasons for buying the ship was the need to look confidently at the future.
“While Covid-19 has brought a temporary pause to our operations, it is important that we look to the future with optimism and continue to deliver on our strategic plan to grow the business and enhance the award-winning Celestyal experience through investment,” explained Celestyal Cruises CEO Chris Theophilides.
Another reason was the vessel’s size, which the cruise operator believes will resonate well with customers. “I’m confident that she will prove to be a very popular choice amongst our valued guests and will allow us to continue providing truly unique experiences for years to come,” he added.
P&O Cruises
UK-based P&O Cruises recently took ownership of Iona, a 345m ship weighing 185,000 tonnes. The vessel – the largest cruise ship to ever be built for the UK market – is the first British ship to be powered by LNG.
Considered by P&O president Paul Ludlow as a “very positive signal for the future of cruising”, Iona will travel all around Europe, from the British port of Southampton to Portugal, Spain, and the Canary Islands. The ship will commence operations no earlier than the beginning of 2021.
The ship’s new features will include the two-deck SkyDome – a pool by day and an entertainment and dining area by night – as well as entertainment venues, four swimming pools, and 16 whirlpools.
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Source: Ship Technology
